Umamusume Pretty Derby dev partners with US horse racing institution ahead of English version launch 

In the build-up to the launch of the English version of their hit mobile game Umamusume Pretty Derby, Japanese game development studio Cygames has partnered with the US-based horse racing institution Breeder’s Cup. Under the agreement, Cygames will become the partner of the $2 million Cygames Breeders’ Cup Sprint, which will be held on November 2 at this year’s Breeders’ Cup World Championships in California.  

Umamusume Pretty Derby is a popular anime and game franchise set in a world where famous racehorses are reborn as cute anime girls. The game Umamusume Pretty Derby has you take on the role of a trainer to these horse girls, which are named after real-life Japanese racehorses. Since its release in 2021, it has become one of Japan’s most popular mobile games, and an English language version is currently in the works.  

Although the release date for the English version is still TBA, the partnership between Breeders’ Cup and Cygames will “mark the upcoming launch of the English version of Umamusume: Pretty Derby.”- so fans can likely expect the game to come out sometime in the near future. 

Regarding the partnership, Cygames’ president Koichi Watanabe commented, “Cygames’ mission is to bring ‘The Best in Entertainment’ to a global audience through our works and public endeavors. As part of that vision, we are releasing the English language version of Umamusume: Pretty Derby, a game heavily influenced by the world of horse racing. Our hope is to forge a relationship with racing enthusiasts through our partnership with the Breeders’ Cup and provide another avenue for potential fans to discover our content.” 

This is not the first time that Cygames has partnered with real-life organizations related to horseracing- it is a longtime supporter of the Retired Racehorse Association of Japan charity. 

Umamusume Pretty Derby is scheduled to be released on iOS and Android, release date still TBA. It is free-to-play (with in-app purchases).